How did ideas travel from Italy to the rest of Europe?

What do you notice about the Northern border of Italy? Passages in the Alps allowed for ideas to pass through by people carrying examples of work. Many individuals also came to Italy to study.

How did technology allow ideas to spread?

The importance of being Gutenberg In about 1440, the German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg developed movable type. Gutenberg made separate pieces of metal type for each character to be printed. The same pieces of type could be used again and again, to print many different books. Printing soon became the first means of mass communication.

Question: Which is faster? Before Gutenberg: People copied books by hand or used wood carvings to make multiple copies books. After Gutenberg: People used the printing press to print multiple copies of manuscripts. Hmm… which is faster? Copying by hand or with Gutenberg’s machine?

How fast are you? Use the space on your worksheet to copy the Machiavelli quote below as many times as you can in two minutes: “Having proposed to myself to treat of the kind of government established at Rome, and of the events that led to its perfection, I must at the beginning observe that some of the writers on politics distinguished three kinds of government, viz. the monarchical, the aristocratic, and the democratic; and maintain that the legislators of a people must choose from these three the one that seems to them the most suitable.” Niccolo Machiavelli, “The Edific of Power”

Renaissance Art in Northern Europe Should not be considered an “appendage” to Italian art. But, Italian influence was strong. Painting in OIL, developed in Flanders, was widely adopted in Italy. The differences between the two cultures: Italy  change was inspired by humanism with its emphasis on the revival of the values of classical antiquity. Northern Europe  change was driven by religious reform, the return to Christian values, and the revolt against the authority of the Church. More princes & kings were patrons of artists, rather than the church.

Characteristics of Northern Renaissance Art The continuation of late medieval attention to details. Tendency toward realism & naturalism [less emphasis on the “classical ideal”]. Interest in landscapes. More emphasis on middle-class and peasant life. Details of domestic interiors. Great skill in portraiture.

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife (Wedding Portrait) Jan Van Eyck 1434

Jan van Eyck - Giovanni Arnolfini & His Wife (details)

The Writers of the North Erasmus of Rotterdam Erasmus was the most important humanist from the Northern Renaissance. Even though the Christian message is paramount in Erasmus’ works, he blends his writings with moral and social concerns. In addition, Erasmus also was committed to educating youth and studying ancient texts.

The Legacy of Erasmus - Erasmus is known for his book The Praise of Folly in which a mythological female figure in jester’s garb is used to criticize everything in Erasmus’ world: Things Erasmus thinks are wrong include: corruption, self-indulgent monks, pompous schoolteachers, and ignorant theologians; and those which Erasmus considered holy: sacrificing oneself to God and trusting religion.

Thomas More Wrote Utopia in 1516 Means “no place,” in Greek Tried to show a better model of society Imaginary land where there is no greed, corruption or war

To be or not to be that is the question… William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language, as well as one of the greatest in Western literature, and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Wrote about thirty-eight plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems. Already a popular writer in his own lifetime, Shakespeare's reputation became increasingly celebrated after his death and his work adulated by numerous prominent cultural figures through the centuries. In addition, Shakespeare is the most quoted writer in the literature and history of the English-speaking world. Can you quote Shakespeare?